Standardized measurement of coronary inflammation using cardiovascular computed tomography: integration in clinical care as a prognostic medical device

Abstract

Mapping of perivascular FAI on CCTA enables the non-invasive detection of coronary artery inflammation by quantifying spatial changes in perivascular fat composition. We now report the performance of a new medical device, CaRi-Heart®, which allows standardized measurement of coronary inflammation by calculating the FAI-Score of each coronary artery. The CaRi-Heart® device provides a reliable prediction of the patient's absolute risk for a fatal cardiac event by incorporating traditional cardiovascular risk factors along with comprehensive CCTA coronary plaque and perivascular adipose tissue phenotyping. This integration advances the prognostic utility of CCTA for individual patients and paves the way for its use as a dual diagnostic and prognostic tool among patients referred for CCTA.